Process of making explosives.



TATES Mfrs HENRY WASBERS, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ROCKDALE POWDER CO;, INCL, A CORPORATION OF DELAIVARE.

PROCESS OF MAKING EXP LOSIVES.

srnorrroarrolv formingpart of Letters Patent are. 724,764, dated April 7, 1903.

Application filed November 2 2 1 902.

Tea whom it may concernr Be it known that LHENRY WAsBnas, of York, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and .useful Improvements in Processes for the Manufacture of Explosives, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to a process for the manufacture of a high explosive; and one of the objects of the same is to economically produce a thoroughly reliable and safe explosive which can be successfully detonated when packed in the ordinary cartridges or shells.

. A further object of the invention is to provide a process particularly designed to be employed in conjunction with the manufacture-of ordinary black powder for economically producing a high explosive.

Further objects of the invention will appear and the many advantages of the same he appreciated'f'when the process is better understood.

My invention consists, primarily, in incorporating with a blackpowder dope nitronaphthalene and then mixing with the resulting compound nitroglycerin.

secondarily, the invention consists in utilizing the black-powder dust, which is formed by passing the pressed black-powdercakes through the ordinary corning-mill togranulate the same, as the dope with which nitronaphthalene is incorporated and with which nitroglycerin is afterward intermixed.

In describing my process I shall specify the proportions which are preferably employed of the several ingredients, as the same has been found to produce a very satisfactory product, which fulfils all of the essential obiects of the invention; but itwill be obvious to those skilled in the art that the proportions may be varied to some extent without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In manufacturing the dynamite according to my process a, dope is first made by thoroughlypulverizing and intermixin g charcoal,

sulfur, and nitrateof soda. The ingredients forming this composition are preferably com bined in the proportions of seventy five per a cent. of nitrate of soda, 12.5 per cent. of char- Serial No. 132,450. on specimens.)

, porating the same the ingredients are preferably placed beneath chaser-wheels; but any other means may be employed for pulverizmg and thoroughly intermixing the same.

To the dope thus produced nitronaphthalene is added and thoroughly incorporated with the same. The proportions preferably employed in producing the latter composition are ninety per cent. of the composition which I have designated the dope and ten per cent. nitronaphthalene. The intermixing of the dope and nitronaphthalene is also preferably edected by subjecting the same to the action of chaser. or incorporating wheels.

As a finalstep in my complete process from fifteen to twenty-five per cent. of nitroglycerin is mixed with the composition formed by the incorporation of the nitronaphthalene I and the dope. The intermixtnre of said parts is preferably secured by placing the composition formed by the dope and nitronaphthalene in a suitable vessel and adding the nitroglycerin thereto.

The product resulting from the last step of the process is then in condition to be packed in the ordinary shells or cartridges. The explosive force of the composition having the specified proportions is equal to if not greater than straight forty per cent. dy-

namite or dynamite containing forty per cent.

of nitroglycerin, and thecost of production of the former product is materially less than the cost of production of the latter.

As before premised, one of the subsidiary objects of the invention herein presented is to provide a process for economically manu: facturing dynamite in conjunctionwith the manufacture of black powder. In manufac tnring the latter, which is composed of charcoal, sulfur, and nitrate of soda in substantiallythe proportions specified as forming the dope hereiubefore referred to, the com;

position resulting from the admixture of said ingredients is pressed intohard cakes and such cakes. run through a corning-millto granulate the powder. In the latter step in the manufacture of powder a quantity of very fine dust is necessarily formed, which is separated from the granular product. Here rco tofore it hasbeen' the practiceto reincorporate this dust with the material treated by the chaser or incorporating wheels and resubjectthe same to the action of the press,

' which forms the composition into cakes pre- Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The herein-described process for the manufacture of dynamite in conjunction with the manufacture of black powder, which consists in incorporating with the powder-dust resulting' from the granulation of the pressed pow-. der-cakes, nitronaphthalene, and finally adding to the admixture thus obtained, nitroglycerin, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at York, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, this 21st day of November, 1902.

' HENRY VVASBERS. Witnesses;

F. W. SEEMAN,

W. ,I. KQLLER. 

